At this point, Senate Democrats are signaling they could get behind just about anything they could plausibly call the public option - from a "trigger" that could kick in a public insurance plan later, to Delaware Sen. Tom Carper's proposal to give states an option to create a government program.

Liberals who've long distrusted private insurers and dreamed of a nationwide, government-run insurance plan see it as a cave-in. Senate leaders see something different - a path to 60 votes for the first time all year.

"It's a tried-and-true legislative strategy for getting everyone to ‘yes,' " said a Democratic strategist familiar with congressional leadership strategy. "Narrow your differences by broadening the definition of what constitutes success."

The Democrats haven't exactly been subtle in this move-the-goalposts effort.

In the meantime, millions of us are going to remain without health care because people like Olympia Snowe think "give private insurers a chance to become competitive." Newsflash - they have a captive customer base! They don't need to be competitive!

I think many of us will agree with Bernie Sanders:

"We know what a public option is, and in my mind what a public option is, is a program that exists in 50 states in America," said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). "It is a Medicare-type program, and my goal is to make sure as many people as possible will have the choice of that option. That is what a public option means to me."